Tallahassee, Florida, July 05, 2012 —

March of Dimes Seeks Nominations for the 2012 Florida Chapter Lawton M. Chiles Public Affairs Award

Nominations are being sought for the March of Dimes Florida Chapter 2012 Lawton M. Chiles Public Affairs Award. March of Dimes Florida Chapter created the Lawton Chiles Public Affairs Award in 1999 to honor the memory of one of Florida’s finest advocates for mothers and babies, the late Governor Lawton Chiles. The award recognizes a Floridian for his or her outstanding achievements and career contributions towards improving the health of mothers, infants and children through maternal and child health advocacy.

Nominations should showcase achievements and career contributions relating to the March of Dimes public policies and programs that further the Foundation’s mission. This may include educating policy makers through grassroots efforts to impact positive change through public policy initiatives or advocacy efforts that bring about change through the legislative, regulatory, and/or budget process that positively impact women of childbearing age, pregnant women, or infants. Nominees should also have demonstrated a long-term commitment to maternal and child health. Applications are being accepted through August 1, 2012.

Past honorees include Dr. Charles S. Mahan, Dean and Professor Emeritus in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida and The Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies; former Florida Senate President Jim King; Carol Brady, Executive Director, Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition; Dr. John Agwunobi, Secretary, Florida Department of Health; Dr. Wil Blechman, past President of Kiwanis International; Dr. John Curran, Medical Director, Children’s Medical Director, Tampa Bay Region; former State Representative Eleanor Sobel; Dee Jay Hellrung, Manuel Fermin, Healthy Start Coalition of Miami; and Loranne Ausley, former House of Representative member.

For more information on the Lawton M. Chiles Award, please contact Melissa K. Joiner.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.